Cooking pizzas is a pretty easy job to do, just as long as you know how to do it properly and the right tools.
This NerdChef Steel Stone review will show you an example of the right tool.
Pizza stones are one of the best inventions that help in cooking pizzas with the perfect crust.
They can absorb and distribute heat that the pizza needs to cook evenly.
Instead of making heavy ovens with stone floors, companies made sure that people can still cook pizzas like the old traditional way by compromising and making the surface removable.
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Pizza stones are then invented, and ever since then, it has become a need for every pizza restaurant.
These are very useful cooking surfaces that can cook more than just pizzas.
The issue with actual stones is that they can break when put under intense temperature changes and impact.
That is why steel is now a common material in making this cookware.
Steel is more durable and is more conductive than stone.
The thickness is then adjusted to absorb and retain the heat collected to help with cooking.
NerdChef is one of the famous brands that make these pizza steel stones, so if you want to know more about their amazing product, read on as we do a detailed review of their pizza steel stone.
Is Pizza Steel Better Than Pizza Stone?
In some areas, yes, pizza steel is better than pizza stones.
Pizza steels conduct heat faster than stones, which translates to a faster cooking time with a crispier crust.
However, this advantage can also be a disadvantage, especially for inexperienced cooks.
This risks burning the crust if you leave the pizza unattended, as it will cook pretty fast.
Depending on the thickness of the steel, it can also retain heat like a pizza stone.
But if you put a pizza stone and pizza steel of the same thickness against each other, the pizza stone wins.
That is in terms of heat retention, but pizza steel’s main advantage over pizza stones is durability.
You cannot break pizza steel just by accidentally dropping it from a table.
They are also more thermal shock resistant than pizza stones.
This means that they can handle abrupt temperature changes without cracking, let alone breaking on the spot.
NerdChef Steel Stone – First Impressions
I have to admit that no pizza stone or pizza steel is amazing when you first look at it.
They are all flat surfaces with pretty bland colors that fade or get deeper after many uses.
However, this pizza steel has a striking look that makes you want to say that you want to cook with it.
It is also a bit confusing as it has two holes placed on two corners of the steel.
Let us not get into the steel color as it is pretty much the same as most steel.
You should remember that color can be a good sign that the steel is seasoned.
Do not be afraid if your pizza steel starts to change or get deeper in color, as that usually means that the surface has become seasoned and is now non-stick, which is better.
The two holes that I am talking about are for handling the pizza steel properly.
You can use a hook to lift the pizza steel out of the oven even when it is hot without burning yourself.
Specifications
This pizza steel is one of the most durable ones on the market.
It is made with stainless steel and is coated with non-stick ceramic to make the cooking process a bit easier.
It measures 16 inches long and 14.5 inches across.
This means that you can cook large rectangular pizzas on this steel with much room to turn the pizza around.
It has a thickness of 0.25 inches which means that it heats up pretty quickly compared to thicker pizza steels.
However, it still takes time for it to reach the required temperature for pizzas.
The thickness of the pizza steel helps retain the heat and then distribute it later to help even out the overall temperature of the oven base when cooking.
Cooking With The NerdChef Steel Stone
One important thing that you should remember before buying this pizza steel is to measure your oven.
Take note that this is large steel, so you need to make sure that the oven can handle it.
Despite its pretty heavyweight, the Nerdchef Steel Stone has a well-balanced feel because of the long and wide measurements. This made it relatively easy to handle.
One thing I did not expect is the time it took for the steel to heat up. It needed 45 minutes for it to reach the desired temperature for cooking the pizzas properly.
However, the pizza steel did not take much work when cooking as it produced pizzas in just minutes.
I just had to switch quickly for the other pizzas to cook.
I also needed to check the durability of the oven itself as the steel was pretty heavy.
You should also check this too and change the racks if needed to prevent irreparable damages.
The pizzas that came out of the NerdChef Steel Stone were pretty amazing.
The heat from the surface of the steel delivered and made every crust of every pizza as crispy as they can get.
The problem with this is that the toppings had a hard time cooking simultaneously as the crust.
Or vice versa, sometimes I had to wait for the crust to cook, and the toppings got burned.
So my secret and simple solution to this problem is to preheat the pizza steel prematurely.
That means that you do not have to wait to reach the maximum temperature before placing the pizza.
Once it reaches around 400 degrees Fahrenheit, I put the pizza in and the rust and toppings simultaneously.
This also meant that I did not have to preheat it again for the next pizza.
==> Get the Nerdchef Pizza Stone
Maintenance
Pizza steels are very easy to maintain as you only need to take care of them. Washing or cleaning can either involve soap or chemicals or just plain water when you do so.
See, pizza steels are not porous, so they do not absorb any chemicals. That is why it is safe for you to wash them with soap just as long as you rinse them thoroughly afterward.
Washing them with running cold water is also not a problem, but it is best to wash them with warm water to help soften the food residuals stuck in the pizza steel.
Also, since the NerdChef Steel Stone is thermal-shock resistant, you can clean it with running water right after taking it out of the oven to help cool it down.
Conclusion
Pizza steels are one of the most durable cookware on the market. They can gather and retain the heat of up to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit and sometimes even hotter than that.
The NerdChef Steel Stone is one of those pizza steels that you can use in any recipe that you want. It can heat up pretty fast and will be able to sear meat and saute vegetables.
The heat that it gathers is also distributed in the oven to create an evenly heated chamber for the pizza or the food to cook evenly without actually burning it.
You can also use this steel for cooking over direct flames. Stoves, grills, and other appliances that can help heat it are great for this pizza steel as they will still give you a crispy crust.
So if you want extremely durable pizza steel, cook other recipes perfectly, and make crispy crusts on your pizza, NerdChef got that for you, so go ahead and get one for yourself!
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